Pair of 1,000t bridges installed in Cambridge

The A14 road in Cambridgeshire has re-opened after work to install a pair of 1,000t bridges was completed 18 hours ahead of schedule.

The bridges were installed last weekend at Bar Hill as part of a £1.5bn scheme.

Prior to the installation, four abutments were built to support the bridges as well as two bridge decks at the side of the carriageway.

During the weekend road closure the two 44m long bridge decks were moved into place on top of the abutments using a massive remote controlled platform on wheels.

On behalf of Highways England, construction director for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme Julian Lamb said: “I’m delighted we were able to re-open the A14 ahead of schedule. The work has been long in the planning and I’m pleased to say went ahead smoothly.

“I would like to thank motorists, businesses and residents, especially in Bar Hill, Longstanton, Willingham and surrounding villages, for their patience.”

The new bridges are part of the £1.5bn major improvement scheme and form a new, improved Bar Hill junction that will connect the A14 to the future local access road between Cambridge and Huntingdon, as well as to the existing local road between Bar Hill and Longstanton (B1050).

The new bridges ultimately replace the old bridge that will be demolished in 2019.

Highways England is upgrading a 34km stretch of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon to three lanes in each direction including a new 27-mile bypass south of Huntingdon, with four lanes in each direction between Bar Hill and Girton.

Have your say

Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. Please note comments made online may also be published in the print edition of New Civil Engineer. Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.

A subscription to New Civil Engineer...

...offers in-depth analysis of the news that matters, interviews and commentary
from leading industry players and special reports on key events, it’s the resource that helps you make better business decisions.